DENVER – The [13/14] University of Denver women's lacrosse program wraps up a stretch of three of four at home on Sunday when the Pioneers welcome Arizona State to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. Opening draw is set for 1 p.m. MT, and will be streamed live on Pioneer Vision.
 
SERIES HISTORY:
Denver won the only previous meeting between the two teams by a count of 22-10 in March of 2021 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
Julia Gilbert scored a season-high five goals and Abby Jenkins finished with a season-high 10 draw controls to lead Denver to a 21-7 edge in the category to help lead Denver past Butler 20-5 on Wednesday afternoon on the Indianapolis campus. FULL RECAP
 
2024 CAPTAINS:

• The Pioneers selected graduate students Sam Thacker and Julia Gilbert, seniors Anna Palmisano and Sloane Kipp and redshirt junior Raegan Wilson as their 2024 captains.
• The 2023 National Defender of the Year Sam Thacker owns the program record for career caused turnovers at 184.
• Gilbert, led the Pioneers with 59 goals and 67 points last season. She was recognized as an IL and USA Lacrosse Magazine Second-Team All American, a member of the Tewaaraton Award Watch List, All-Big East First Team and IWLCA West/Midwest Region Second team honoree.
• Palmisano brings experience to the 'hot pink' defense and has started in every game the last three seasons.
• Kipp was third on the DU squad last season with 57 shots on goal and a .429 shooting percentage with three game-winning goals during the 2023 Championship Weekend run.
• Before missing the second half of the season with an injury, Wilson earned 17 goals and four assists last season. 

 
WORK IN THE DRAW CIRCLE

• Denver has a 171-146 advantage in the draw circle this season.
• Senior draw specialist Abby Jenkins leads the Pioneers with 57 this year.
• Jenkins hauled in 10 in the Pioneers win over Butler on April 10, her first double-digit output this season and the eighth of her career.

 
PENOYER THE DISTRIBUTOR

• Yale graduate student transfer Olivia Penoyer leads the team and is ranked 16th in the country in assists with 32.
• Penoyer has 3+ assists in seven games this season.
• Penoyer had back-to-back five assist games in BIG EAST wins over Marquette (April 6) and at Bulter (April 10), one shy of her career-high six which she produced three times in her time with the Bulldogs.
• In her career at Yale, Penoyer broke Yale's career assists record, finishing her time in New Haven with 106 in her career.
• Among active players in NCAA Division I women's lacrosse, Penoyer ranks sixth in career assists with 138.

 
LIMITING SHOT ATTEMPTS

• Denver held Butler to just 13 shots on April 10 in Indianapolis.
• It was the lowest shots allowed for the Pioneers since holding Georgetown to 10 on April 22, 2023.
• The Georgetown total last season was Denver's lowest since allowing just eight shots at Coastal Carolina on March 11, 2020, the final game before the COVID-19 Pandemic.

 
CASHING IN ON FREE-POSITIONS

• Denver went 5-for-7 from the free-position arc on April 10 at Butler, tied for the program's best output this season. The five FPS tallies matched Denver's 5-for-8 day against San Diego State on Feb. 25.
• The Pioneers finished with as many as 8 free-position goals twice last season.

 
WOMAN-UP TALLIES

• Denver scored six times in woman-up situations on February 25 against San Diego State, its most in a game in the program's Division I history.
• The Pioneers have finished with 4+ woman-up goals three times in 2024 (chart on right), tying the rest of its DI history combined.

 
FORCING TURNOVERS

• Denver has had double digit caused turnovers in 10 games this season.
• The Pioneers finished with double-digit caused turnovers in all but one game last season (4/8/23 at UConn).

 
BACK TO BACK 20+ GOAL GAMES

• Denver scored 20 goals in back-to-back BIG EAST wins against Marquette and at Butler.
• It marked Denver's first time with 20+ goals in back-to-back games since March 4 and 8, 2020 (Fresno State, Fairfield).

 
UP NEXT:
Denver returns to the road next Saturday to take on Villanova. Opening draw is set for 1 p.m. ET/11 a.m. MT. 
 
TICKETS:
Single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.

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